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| Things to consider
While there are many pitfalls in using non-native English speakers to translate into English, companies in developing countries may not have too many alternatives. Translation is labor intensive, and translators in a developed country and cost several times that of home grown ones. It may also be difficult to find native speakers in the developed countries who are proficient in another language, which will further increase the cost. But there are certain things that can be done to minimize the risk of embarrassment or marketing failure.
- Understand the potential pitfalls - the above presents a cursory overview of some of the potential problems of translating into English. The books mentioned are just two of many excellent sources that identify such problems. It is important that those responsible for bringing their products to the English-speaking markets has a good understanding of the possible pitfalls.
- Use professionals - While it may be tempting, especially from a cost point of view, to find someone in house who know English to do the translation or rewrite the information in English, it can also be false economy. The best way to avoid the problems described in this article is to use people who have a firm grasp of the English language as well as its usage and idiosyncrasies in the target countries. Professional writers and translators may cost more, but they will help avoid embarrassments and save money in the long term.
- Qualify the writers and translators - It is not sufficient to just employ professional writers and translators. They must be carefully chosen. What are their qualifications? How long have they lived in the English speaking country(ies)? What were they doing there, do they have sufficient opportunities to the culture there? Have they traveled around the countries? Are they familiar with the subject matter? How much writing in or translation to English have they done? These are all questions that should be asked to determine the suitability of the writers or translators.
- Have the translation reviewed - Before any information is published, it should be reviewed by a native English speaker, preferably in the country of interest. There are subtitles that only someone living in a particular country can spot.
In some cases, a company from a developing country may want to expand to another developing country and translation is required. It is often easier to translate first from the original language into English, and then from English into the target language. For example, a Chinese company may seek to expand into southern India and need to provide information in Tamil. There are not likely going to be too many translators who can translate directly from Chinese to Tamil, but there are many who can translate from Chinese to English, and many other who can translate from English to Tamil. When English is used in this manner as a pivot language, the translation needs to be simple and succinct rather than sensitive to a particular English speaking culture. There are other considerations which are beyond the scope of this article and may be dealt with in a future one. |
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 Continue to References to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao
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